Family Photographs
by SuperSailorCharon
Summary: When Mokuba stumbles upon an old box in the attic, its contents prove to hold some life-changing revelations.


**SuperSailorCharon: So here I am writing under a brand new username for the first time. I will eventually give everyone who has been following me the details of all my fanfics that were deleted, but for now, here's a cute, fluffy brotherly oneshot. **

I can't believe I finally finished cleaning my room. Boy did _that_ take forever. Seto told me to go through all my old stuff while he was at work today and decide what I wanted to put in the attic and what I wanted to throw away.

I take the packaging tape off my desk and seal the lid shut. The box didn't contain very many important things. Most of what was inside were things like clothes I've outgrown, the bandana I used to wear around my neck, and old toys I got tired of playing. There was also the bronze key I found on the ground a few weeks after Seto and I were left at the orphanage. I could never figure out what it unlocked. I think I tried almost every door I could find. But I thought it was pretty, so I kept it. Today, that key doesn't mean anything to me. It's just a reminder of how different my life is now compared to back then.

I lift the box up off the ground. It's heavy, but I don't struggle with it too much. I carry it up a flight of stairs and down the hall where I almost bump into Annie.

"Pardon me, Master Kaiba!" Annie quickly apologizes as her white face turns bright red. Annie's the new maid we hired a few months ago from Sweden. She has long blonde hair that's so bright you need sunglasses to look at it. She's only a few years older than my brother, but she's absolutely terrified of him. Most of the staff is.

"Annie, what did I say about calling me that?" I remind her teasingly.

"I'm sorry Mokuba!" Annie sings out as she dusts off her apron. "Old habits die hard you know! Do you need help carrying that box?"

"I got it Annie," I assure her. "But if you come down with me to the end of the hallway, I might need you to pull the cord so I can get into the attic."

"You got it, Mokuba!" Annie says eagerly. I grin. Annie would bend over backwards to help anyone, even if my brother wasn't paying her.

Annie follows me to the end of the hallway. She pulls the cord dangling from the low ceiling and a set of steps folds outwards.

"Thank you, Annie!" I say graciously as I adjust my grip on the box and carry it up into the attic.

To be honest, I've never actually been into the attic before. I've never needed to. Supposedly, when our stepbrother Noah died, the man who adopted us put all of Noah's things up here. When Gozaburo committed suicide, Seto cleaned everything out of here so no trace of Gozaburo or Noah could be found. All that's left here are some boxes that I'm assuming are full of Seto's stuff and some old rugs and furniture.

I cough a few times as I breathe in dust. I set the box down on the floor that's been discolored with years of dirt. My eyes water and I wipe them with the back of my hand. There isn't a whole lot of space to put my stuff. For being in a mansion, this sure is a cramped little attic.

I slide my box over to a space in a corner where there's just enough space. As I push it over, I jump back nearly ten feet and scream when I see a huge black spider. I _hate_ spiders.

As I jumped back, I knocked over a small box that had been sitting on a stack of bigger boxes. Whatever was inside spilled out all over the place. When I saw what exactly fell out of the box, I thought I was dreaming.

Holding the edges with my fingertips, I pick a photo up off the floor that had been lying face down and blow off some of the dust it had collected. In the photo was a young couple. They couldn't have been older than sixteen or seventeen. They were dressed in traditional Japanese wedding clothes and standing in a big flower garden. The bride was small and skinny with long black hair. Her groom towered over her and had brown hair. I couldn't help but grin. He could have easily passed for Seto's clone.

I pick up another photo that had fallen on the floor. The bride and the groom were sitting on a simple red couch. She had a baby in her arms while her husband had his arm lovingly around her shoulders as he smiled affectionately at the baby.

One more photo on the ground. I carefully pick it up. The bride was missing from this photo and the groom looked a few years older. His eyes were tired and sad, but he smiled as he sat on the same red couch holding a baby. Sitting next to him was a little boy that looked to be about four or five. The boy had a big smile on his face as he waved to the camera. He looked tall for his age and had brown hair.

I need a moment or two to pick my jaw up off the floor.

That little boy is Seto. The bride and groom are our parents.

I'm dying to know more. I scan the floor for everything else that fell out of the box. The only other things that have are a silver charm bracelet with a rocking horse charm, a remote control helicopter, and a journal with a black leather cover.

I quickly pick up the journal and open the cover. The first page reads "This is Kimiko's journal" in perfect handwriting. I turn the page and begin reading.

_October 25_

_I can't believe my little Seto is five years old today. My mom came to visit and we had an almond vanilla cake with vanilla icing, just like Seto asked for. Mom gave Seto a remote control helicopter as a birthday present. He loves it. _

_I still can't believe it. Five years ago I was sixteen, pregnant with my boyfriend's baby, and not sure what I was supposed to do with my life. When I told my mom I was pregnant, she didn't really respond. She asked me not to talk to her for the rest of the night so she could figure out what to do. The next day I remember her coming to me and saying it was my choice. Whatever it was, she would support it. Satoru's parents were furious. We both broke the news to his family in person. They pretty much disinherited him and called me a stupid whore. They demanded that I get an abortion. And a paternity test._

_I ended up asking my mom if Satoru and I could stay until we graduated high school. We promised we'd look for work and move out as soon as we graduated. She agreed. I'll always be thankful for her help. And people can't accuse me and Satoru of being irresponsible teenagers either. We kept our promise. We moved out about a year later after Satoru found work down moving crates down at the shipyard._

_Right now, Seto's flying his new helicopter around the living room. He keeps yelling, "When I grow up, I'm gonna have a real one of these!" I wouldn't be surprised. _

_November 19_

_I got back from the doctor. I'm pregnant again. Six weeks pregnant. I wasn't sure how to tell Satoru. After all, this wasn't at all what we were expecting. But Satoru seems very happy, and maybe it's time to add on to our little family. Now we just have to tell Seto he'll be getting a new little brother or sister. The baby will be due sometime in July, I think. _

_I have to go back to work at the bakery tomorrow. I don't know how to tell Mrs. Kabori that I'm going to eventually need to take some time off to have this baby and take care of it. We'll see. _

_You know you're pregnant when you puke five times a day and immediately afterwards, you wish you had a hamburger and a chocolate parfait. I remember with Seto I wanted a cheese omelet with ketchup every single day for nine months. That was funny. _

_December 25_

_Merry Christmas! Seto isn't exactly excited about having a baby brother or sister, but I think he'll learn to like the idea. I hope. _

My nose scrunches up when I read that Seto didn't want a younger sibling. But I continue reading anyway.

_We went to my mom's house for Christmas. It feels like my mother's the only friend I have left in the world ever since Dad committed suicide when I was fourteen. Mom hasn't been doing so well either. She keeps complaining about headaches and feeling faint for no reason. I keep telling her to see a doctor, but she blames it on spending too many late nights reading. Mom and her books. She was never able to put them down. I know where I get it from. I love reading to Seto and soon I'll have another little baby to read to. _

_I can't believe I'm eleven weeks pregnant. I wonder when I'm going to start showing. With Seto, I started showing almost right away. Right now though, I'm a little bit bigger, but my butt and my stomach are covered in gross stretch marks. I'm going to get so fat, I wonder if Satoru will even touch me anymore. But he keeps assuring me I look perfect just the way I am. I love my husband._

_January 3_

_I pulled all of my old maternity clothes out of my closet. As ugly as some of these dresses and floppy shirts are, I keep forgetting how comfy they are. _

_My belly's starting to get bigger. I asked Seto if he wants to touch my belly so he can get used to the fact that I have a little person inside of me. So far, he doesn't want to. He's not happy with the fact that he won't be mommy and daddy's only child anymore. He'll just have to get used to it. I'm sure he'll be the best big brother in the whole world. _

I smiled. Mom was definitely right about that.

_January 6_

_Satoru and I weren't expecting this at all. Our family is going to get just a little bigger than we imagined. _

_I had an appointment today and had Satoru come with me. The doctor said he could hear two heartbeats! Not just one! And it seems like my stomach has exploded over night. I hate how my clothes don't fit anymore, but it'll all be worth it. _

_I told Seto to expect two new siblings. He threw a huge temper tantrum when I told him that. He's not happy at all. I wonder if he'll ever adjust. I mean, we hardly have room in a two bedroom apartment! Seto will have to share his room with the twins. He's gonna hate that._

_To earn some extra money, Satoru is taking on more hours down at the docks. We'll see. Hopefully it all works out. _

Wait, _two_ heartbeats? Was I supposed to have a twin? My heart beats faster as I read the next entry.

_February 2_

_I can't sleep. And not just because two babies are kicking me and I now have to sleep on my side. I keep apologizing to Satoru for taking up the whole bed. He just laughs and rolls over before falling asleep again._

_No, I can't sleep because Mom called last night. She finally went to the doctor. It's worse than I ever imagined: stage four brain cancer. I've been crying all night. I'm going to lose my mom too. My best friend in the world. The one person who didn't disinherit me when they found out I was pregnant and engaged in high school. Satoru's parents were furious. They never let him live it down. But my mom was the most supportive person in the world. When Seto was born, Satoru and I had no clue what we were doing. We were going off of no sleep. He was always so fussy and never stopped crying, especially when we moved out of my mom's house and into this apartment. Yet Seto never cried when his grandma came over to watch him when Satoru and I went back to work. And I feel like I need her guidance more than ever. It's not like I haven't been pregnant before. But with twins? Could I do it?_

_They gave my mom two choices. If she decides not to have chemo, she'll probably have two months to live. If she starts chemo this week, she'll probably be around until summer. I don't want my mom to suffer. But it would be nice if she could at least see her new grandchildren._

_February 27_

_I'm twenty weeks pregnant. I'm so huge right now it's almost hilarious. I feel like I need to stand sideways just to fit through the door. Being skinny most of my life, I'm not used this. _

_Mrs. Kabori took one look at my belly and told me to go home. I'm not due for another four months, but it's kind of hard to be useful in a bakery when your stomach fits over the counter. She told me I would be getting five months worth of paid leave but no more than that. I have no idea how we're going to make ends meet when the twins are born. I hate to say it, but I've come to accept the fact that my mom may not be alive long enough to see the twins. _

_I sing to them every night. I talk to them. I don't know if they can hear me yet, but whenever I read Seto his bedtime story, it's like I now have three children to read to. _

_March 1_

_Today, Satoru and I found out the sex of the babies. One boy and one girl. Seto still isn't happy about the fact that he'll be sharing mommy and daddy's attention and sharing his room._

I stop reading and need another moment to wrap my head around the fact that I was supposed to have a twin sister before I read what Mom wrote next.

_We can't decide on names, for some reason. At first, we thought it would be easy if I named the girl and Satoru named the boy. We agreed that we want the girl to be named Adina. I don't know why, but I always thought it was such a pretty name. When I told Mom, at first she thought that was a dumb idea. She wants us to go with a traditional Japanese name. Maybe we'll do that for the boy. I'm not sure yet. There aren't many boys' names I like. _

Adina. That was the name of the character Seto designed to look like me when he created the virtual adventure land. He must've named Adina after the twin I was supposed to have. But if Seto knew all this, why am I finding out just now?

_April 8_

_I realize it's been a long time since I've written in here, but things have been busy. I can't believe I'm almost six months pregnant. I've mostly been trying to find affordable baby outfits and freaking out about money. _

_And then Mom called. She told me not to worry about money. She'll leave me a decent amount to get by on. I told her not to say things like that, but I'm not fooling anyone. The doctor said Mom will be lucky to be alive in six weeks. _

_I miss Satoru. I know it's nice to have a little extra money, but I wish he wasn't such a workaholic._

I grin. Apparently being a workaholic runs in the family. Seto really is our dad's son.

_May 29_

_I'm so fat I can't fit into the shower anymore. I have to boil water and take sponge baths. That's just disgusting. I can't wait until this pregnancy is over. I miss my body. I miss my cute clothes. I miss not having to share the bed with my belly. But most importantly, I can't wait to see what my little ones are going to look like. I wonder if they'll look like me this time. It's possible. Seto looks just like his daddy, so maybe the twins will look like me. _

_I took Seto to see his grandma one last time. Mom's hair fell out from all the chemo and she can't get out of bed, so she's hired a day nurse to take care of her. I was going to stay with her myself, but she refused. She kept saying, "No, Kimiko. You need to take care of yourself and your family right now. You've got enough on your plate already."_

_Seto didn't want to leave his grandma's side. It hurts me watching him sit next to her while she lies in her bed. He asks her, "Grandma, where did your hair go? Will it grow back? Will you ever come to see me? I miss you. I love the helicopter you gave me for my birthday." My mom just laughs and tousles Seto's brown hair._

_I hated it even more when it was finally time to go home. My mom told me to wait. She had something to give to me. _

_Mom took something off her nightstand. I didn't realize what it was until she placed it into my hands. I remember the silver charm bracelet with the rocking horse charm. I used to sneak into my parents' room when I was home by myself and try on the bracelet. I don't know why, but out of all the jewelry my mom owned, the bracelet was my favorite. _

"_This is yours," Mom said. "It was always your favorite."_

_I remember looking at the rocking horse charm for a long time when finally it came to me. _

_I know what I want to name my little boy now. I'm going to name him Mokuba. _

I can't help but smile. I've always hated my name. After all, who names their kid "wooden horse"? But after finding out that this is why my mom picked my name, maybe I can learn to like it a little bit more.

_June 1_

_Mom passed on last night. Her funeral is this afternoon and I'm writing this as I get ready. It breaks my heart knowing my best friend is gone from this world forever. _

_I told Seto Grandma died. I asked him how he felt. He stared down at the floor of his room. I wasn't sure if he'd understand what just happened. When his goldfish died two years ago, he asked if Sashimi would be hungry while he was dead. _

_This time was different. I asked Seto if he understood that Grandma wasn't coming back. He nodded. I'm surprised he didn't cry. He didn't say anything for a very long time. But I know he misses her as much as I do. He asked me after that, "Can we buy flowers for her grave? White ones? Those were her favorite."_

_June 2_

_After we got home from Mom's funeral yesterday, I sat down on the couch and took off my shoes. I hate how swollen my feet are. I also hate the fact that I can't stop crying._

_Seto did the most amazing thing. He patted my belly and began rubbing it. He kissed it and looked up at me. I started to cry again. But this time, not from being sad. He asked me, "Mommy? Why are you crying?" I told him, "Because I'm happy." Seto thought it was silly that people cry when they're happy. But he kept patting my belly. He said, "It's too bad Grandma won't get to meet my new brother and sister."_

_July 6_

_I can't believe it. My water broke last night and I'm going into labor. I almost slipped on the kitchen floor. It was actually pretty funny. It was like something out of a bad cartoon._

_So now here I am. I'm lying in a hospital bed. Satoru and Seto were in here earlier, until the doctor threw them out. In a few hours, they're going to cut my belly open and bring the little ones into the world._

_They did one last sonogram on me to make sure everything's fine before they cut me open. It's kind of cute. The sonogram shows Mokuba's arm around Adina's shoulder. _

_I can't help but smile. Everything's going to be just fine. _

That was the last entry. All the rest of the pages are blank.

I set down the journal and nearly jump back when I notice Seto had been sitting across from me the entire time. Looks like someone got home early.

"Annie told me you never left the attic," Seto said. "I was trying to find you because I wanted to know if you wanted to go out to eat for dinner tonight."

"Seto?" I begin. "How come you never told me any of this before? About Mom and Dad. And Adina?"

I was expecting some sort of parental answer like, "I'll tell you when you're older" or "You're better off not knowing." What came out of Seto's mouth next surprised me to no end.

"When I became CEO of Kaiba Corp, I hired a private investigator to find as much as possible about our mom and dad," Seto explained. "I figured that when you were ready to know the truth, all you had to do was ask."

"How'd you even get all this?" I asked in amazement. "The journal, and the photos, and Mom's bracelet, and…" Seto cuts me off.

"The investigator found them through various sources," Seto said. "After Dad died in that car accident coming home from the shipyard, his brother was supposed to take us in. He never did. He spent all of Dad's money and ended up getting all of Mom and Dad's belongings. After I found out where our uncle was, I sued him for everything that should've been ours."

This was still too much to take in. Every time I had one question answered, a million more popped up in my brain.

"What happened?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Seto asks as his brows arch up.

"I mean when Mom died," I said.

"I was hoping it would be a little longer before I'd have to tell you this story," Seto sighed. "But you asked, and I'm going to keep my promise to answer whatever questions you have." He began, "When the doctors cut open Mom to get you and Adina out, Mom lost a lot of blood. They tried to save her, but they couldn't. They got you out first. But when they tried to get Adina out, she was all blue. She ended up getting strangled with her umbilical cord." Seto's voice was icy and stoic. He continued, "Dad took care of us for a while."

I picked up the charm bracelet and stared at it.

"So you found out about how Mom gave you your name?" Seto asked.

"Yeah," I said as I fiddled with the charm bracelet.

"Well, let's go have dinner," Seto suggested as he slowly rose. "I'm getting hungry."

"I'll meet you out front," I told him.

I hurried down the stairs and ran back down to my room. On the wall next to my bed was a hook where I hung the key. I placed the charm bracelet on the empty hook.


End file.
